The first day of battle has set with the sun, and when it rises again the next morning the Alamo is under siege. It's like a thing for this place, to be under siege. Right, that's a thing? Surelda doesn't know jack all about history, but she's pretty sure she's heard that, somewhere.

LoneStar has more or less taken over the pinnacle of the Citadel, where now the radios hum efficiently. It took a lot of trial and error, and a few days besides, before Lady Silver's voice could crackle over the waves again. There's a few bedrolls that have been thrown about the space, which are utilized almost entirely by Lonestar personnel.

Matt would be proud to see his people hunkering together, no doubt.

Surelda, however, hasn't slept much. She participated in the battle from a lower window, then came right back up and was up much of the night rerouting signals and information across the many different parties involved and interested in the goings-on here. Now, though, in the wee hours, things have gone quiet. So the silver-haired woman is situated at the edge of the platform where a bit of wall has long since crumbled away. It gives a lovely view of the surrounding area, and of course the hoarde that fills it.

She wears only her blue dress now. Her feet are bare, and she's set her cloak aside. Her pale skin will have to be covered as the sun climbs higher, but for now she can at least enjoy some air. Her silver hair is left down to waft in the breeze, and her big black eyes stare emptily toward the site of the previous night's battle.

She's said some nonsensical things over the past day or two. The most common refrain? "I heard the scream on the top of the pyramid." So Surelda is, apparently, a bit of a weirdo.

Lowry comes a striding in. His attire dusty and dirty, obviously been seeing some wear. His boots clank about and the jimgle of his spurs is quite audible as he approaches Surelda. "Ahh. The ever illusive Lady Silver. Nice to put a face to the name finally." He offers a smile and a wink and pulls his flask from his coat. He would take a drink and offer it to the junkie if she wants. Staring off now he mumbles, "Look at those rat bastards. Seems innumerable even from here. I aint 'a feelin' to hot about this one. Goin' out on patrol later." He turns and raises a brow. "You be on the waves today? Sure makes it a hulluva' alot easier."

Ashram sits next to his bedroll, beside one of the few edges of the peak that isn't demolished, most of his armor spread out beside him except for his helmet and torso parts, and looks out onto the invading horde. Ashes and soot dot his face and a bandage down one cheek. He saw some fighting himself, for sure, and he looks pensive perhaps as the result. "Since her updates saved my skull once already, I hope to God so."

Surelda's a little slow on the uptake, this morning. Early morning is the only time when it's relatively safe to get high, since the radios go quiet. And so she's taken advantage of that. A second or so passes before Lowry's words seem to register and she turns, blinking owlishly up at the man. Oooh, alcohol! What better to mix with drugs. Wordlessly, she reaches out and takes the flask and takes a deep sip. Then another gulp, without a breath. Then she lowers it and hands it back. Yeah, this is a hard-drinking, hard-shooting (if the track marks on her arms are any indication) woman. "Surelda," she tells Lowry quietly. "You can call me Surelda." Her voice is flat, for now.

She looks back to Ashram, almost sheepish at the bit of praise. "I'm here," she tells him, though the words are clearly for both men. "I'll be up here up until they get up the tower, I'm sure." Because they will. She knows they will. "There's some food in that crate by the radio, if you're hungry," she tells the men, turning to look back over the wastes. She brings her knees up to her chin and hugs them to herself somewhat limply. She's a good radio presence, but a simple glance will show that she's not a physically strong woman.

Lowry turns at the sound of Ashram's voice. He lifts his hat and nods, "Lowry." He says by way of greeting. He adds, "Agreed. " Taking the flask back he would toss it over to Ashram if he wants. "Safer than tha' water." Gets thrown in there with a twisted smile. "Patrol could be a bit mor' excitin' than usual. Heard someone got them walls laced with all manner o' explosives. Think I'll stay in the back today." Turning back to the women he speaks again. "Surelda it is then we are in each others company. I'll stick to yer' handle on the radio though."

Ashram spots the track marks on Surelda's arms; if he hadn't already heard her raving like a wacko now he knows. But he's subtle enough to gloss straight over it. At least she's getting high in her downtime. He catches the flask and takes a longer pull than Surelda. Why? Because "Heh, I'm the one who set them up." His eyes gleam with a mania. "They're on the southern wall, where it's mostly collapsed."

Surelda continues to stare blankly off into the distance. Perhaps it is known that she was the property(?) and/or wife(?) of the man Ashur who dissapeared in that nuclear blast the day before. Perhaps that's why she's getting so high now. Well, that and the prospect of certain death. And because she's a junkie. Lots of reasons!

A few seconds after Ashram speaks, the woman slowly turns her head to look back at the two men conversing. She blinks at both of them. "Should I send word to the Brotherhood channels about the bombs?" she asks. They're his bombs, it's his call.

"Ahh," Lowry says with a knowing look. "Maybe we can get out there later. Give me a little better idea. Sounds good though. We will be able to direct our efforts elsewhere." He heads over to the crate now, never one to turn down a free meal. Especially within the comforts of the Lonestar clan! He looks over the girl now, "Ya' want somethin?" Seemingly just noticing her small stature as they have never met face to face before. "Interesting notion. Though I've yet to hear anything of their plans. Just nasty rumors I hope got no weight."

Ashram didn't actually know about her relationship to him, she's been an idle acquaintance up until this invasion. "We could do that after a meal. It took a lot of trial and error to put those things up and I'm still feeling the mishaps." He considers for a moment and shakes his head. "Keep it secret to those you truly trust. I placed them carefully but I don't want to expose my traps in case we have saboteurs among the ranks."

Lowry nods. "I hear ya." He shakes his head having another drink and sliding down a wall. "Ole' man Wilson died last night of dissentary. Seems only half the folks here are on our side. Think I'll just stick around the Lone star folks. Ones I know. Don't need to be shittin' my pants when that first mutant comes barreling down ma' sights. Nor do I need any rigged weaponry." He pulls his revolver and admires it. "I'll stick with my ole 'Lamentation' here. She always sang just fine."

Ashram takes the flask from Lowry again and shares it, since he conveniently slides down the wall next to himself. "Ugh, hell of a way to go. I agree." He pats the revolver on the ground and motions at the rifle behind his back. "I stay stocked up on ammo too. Treasonous bastards won't catch me by surprise. If anything I'll catch *them*."

Lowry nods. "I hear ya'." He shakes his head and removes his hat. "Ya' know." Sounds like the buzz is getting in there now! "Bought me a damn shotgun, never even fired the damn thing! Lent it some broad in a firefight. Got blown ta' hell and aint' seen her since. She better pop up with that damn thing soon. Aint seen 'er though. Pry back in El Dorado."

Ashram glowers in sympathy for Lowry's plight and shakes his head. "Damn, that's rotten. I thought about bringing along a spare set of armor for somebody who might need it but the call came too quick. Hope that broad wasn't a Lonestar, it'd cast an insult on our good names." Wait until that rumors hit, huh?

Surelda wasn't listening. Nope, she was just floating in a cloud of pleasant blankness. But eventually the men's words invade her ears and she slowly turns her head, letting her long silver hair shift along her back so she can peer over her shoulder and regard them. "Sabotage?" she asks, and then seems to remember something in her addled state. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a crumpled peice of paper. Slowly, she rises, and then offers it over to either of the men if they're keen.

"Someone brought these around and left 'em last night," she reports, flatly. "I think it talks 'bout how the Brotherhood's going to leave us to die, but ... well I don't read so good." What does a woman need to read for anyway, living in the wastes like this?

The cowboy nods. "She seemed alright. Wasn't gonna let her just die out there. I think she had a stick or something. I'll keep the faith." Another tug. Lowry raised a brow now. He's no scholar but he can read. He would take them, inspect them and hand them over to Ashram. "Interesting."

Ashram skims over the pamphlet, too focused on the approaching army to read it too closely. "Huh, that does seem like they've involved in sabotage or inciting it, doesn't it?" His fingers curl into fists. "They got no foresight. Makes me want to go investigating around and see if I can locate the source of this craziness."

"Yea, I feel the tension getting thicker. Some patrolling and investigation is certainly in order. Before the shit hits the fan. Not to mention, Scavenging out here might turn up some stuff not usually seen. This place got a lot of history." He looks over to Surelda, "Where did you say you got those, Darlin'?" He starts shaking his head. "Honestly the last thing we need is to start fighting amongst ourselves. Should at least wait till we make it out of this alive."

"Someone'd left them up here," Surelda reports easily, moving to take a seat near to the other men now so she can at least be part of the conversation, albiet lightly. She's not exactly all there, right now. "I've seen them around below the few times I've been down," she explains. "Do you really think the Brotherhood's doing all that, ruining things just so we'd get killed and the war can go on? Seems stupid, seeing as they lost some of their own just like everyone else did. I dunno ... I just don't understand why they'd do it."

"I think it means someone has an ulterior motive. I don't think it makes much sense either, more like someone's trying to rig up an opposition. Or they're a psycho suicide cult. War does odd things to peoples's brains and long, brutal sieges can rip psyches to shreds even worse." Ashram avoids looking at Surelda too much during this monologue, since he clearly doesn't mean she's part of that! In fact he moves aside so she can fit in the group better.

"Hymm.. Well, in my experience, the ones who are casting stones are usually just as guilty if not more so then the ones they are accusing." He shoots a nod to Ashram in agreeance. The whole thing gets him thinking though. He stands up now pointing to two men. "Jarred, Lyle. Come here." The two lazily approach. "Keep a loose guard on the entrance up here. Nothing noticeable but if they ain't a Caravaneer give 'em a hard time." He spins to Surelda and Ashram. "If they can drop off their proganda then what's stopping them from screwing with /our/ water and the like. Fuck that tune. I don't think it's official or anything and it aint my place but I say we kind of take this up here and call it Caravan Country. What do ya'll think? I'll run it by the higher ups but I don't see any sense in mixin' in with this B.S. Let's just look after each other. I aint hoin' out like Ole' man Wilson."

"Word to that. We've *already* practically claimed the top up here, let's put some actual force to it." Ashram allows a wider grin to spread across his mostly grim features. "We have to stick together in the midst of this insanity, for certain. Nobody's gonna stop us." He laughs sharply. "Not with the bigger problem looming its head."

Lowry pulls another drink and hands the bottle over. "Whaddaya' say we go get a reference of yer' booby traps? Might as well do a light patrol for shits and giggles too." He looks around. Someone is trying to get in but the two fellas he asked to keep an eye on things are having none of it. He smiles. "We might as well get our ears to the ground anyways. See just what in tha' hell is going on here."

Surelda watches the men with those big black eyes. She blinks once or twice. "Do you think we need defenses from those down below? If you think we need them ... well, then we are the higher-ups, here. We can do whatever you fellahs think is best." She's a borderline noncombatant. So she leaves such decisions to them.